It was widely believed that the interaction between rice and rice blast fungus can be interpreted by the gene-for-gene hypothesis. Two interaction models between rice blast fungus and anti-disease genes had been briefed. They were receptor-ligand model and guard model. The progress of research about molecular marker and position on avirulence genes of the pathogens of rice blast (Magnaporthe oryzae) was reviewed, and the methods to clone and the cloned avirulence genes of rice blast fungus were also summarized.

Objective To explore the role of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1) during renal senescence by using human TIMP-1 transgenic mice.Methods Renal histological changes of wild type mice and transgenic mice at the age of 3,12,24 months were observed by periodic acid-schiff(PAS)staining of paraffin sections.The numbers of F4/80 positive cells were detected by immunofluoreseence.The protein expressions of TIMP-1,TIMP-2,matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-9,MMP-2,intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1),transforming growth factor?1(TGF-?1),collagenⅢand collagenⅣwere detected by Western blot.The activities of gelatinases and TIMP-1 were examined by gelatin zymography and reverse zymography respectively.Results Focal renal fibrosis was found in two genotypes with aging.At the age of 24 months,compared with wild type,in kidneys of transgenic type,the expressions and activities of gelatinases were dowregulated (MMP-2:2.08?0.20 vs.3.39?0.43;MMP-9:4.02?0.82 vs.6.72?1.40,all P＜0.05);the expressions of collagenⅢ,collagenⅣ,ICAM-1,and TGF-?1 were upragulated(0.72+0.11 vs.0.57?0.09;0.84?0.13 vs.0.6?0.11,0.72?0.12 vs.0.53?0.07; 0.69?0.12 vs.0.45?0.09,all P＜0.05),and the numbers of F4/80 positive cells were increased (18.8?4.4 vs.12.7?3.6,P＜0.05)with the upregulated expression and activity of TIMP-1(1.10?0.18 vs.0.62?0.09;50.75?7.25 vs.20.64?3.50,P＜0.05).Conclusions TIMP-1 could promote age-related renal fibrosis through enhancing inflammation reaction by ICAM-1 upregulation.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Yanghe Huayan Decoction (YHD, a representative recipe for warming yang mass dissipating) in inhibiting precancerosis of breast cancer (PBC) and on the protein and mRNA expression of ki67.

METHODSThe PBC rat model was established by dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA), and 9 weeks later rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, the model group, the YHD group, the Sanjie Huatan Decoction group (SHD), the Pingxiao Tablet group (PT), and the tamoxifen group. Rats in the model group were administered with water by gastrogavage. Rats in the YHD group received YHD (deglued antler powder 12 g, prepared rhizome of rehmannia 9 g, cassia bark 6 g, white mustard seed 3 g, zedoary root 12 g, appendiculate cremastra pseudobulb 15 g, chekiang fritillary bulb 9 g, licorice root 6 g) at the daily dose of 7.2 g/kg by gastrogavage. Rats in the SHD group received SHD (oldenlandia diffusa 15 g, Scutellaria Barbata 15 g, Trichosanthes Kirilowii 15 g, pinellia 9 g) at the daily dose of 5.4 g/kg by gastrogavage. Rats in the PT group received PT at the daily dose of 144 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Those in the tamoxifen group received tamoxifen at the daily dose of 4 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Pathomorphological changes of the breast tissue were observed by HE staining. The positive rate and the gray value of ki67 expression were detected by immunohistochemical assay. And the expression of ki67 mRNA was detected by q-PCR.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, the general hyperplasia and the occurrence rate of precancerous lesion were higher and the occurrence rate of invasive carcinoma was lower in each treatment group (P < 0.05). Except the SHD group, the intensity of ki67 grey value increased in each treatment group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Except the PT group, the positive rate of ki67 and mRNA expression of ki67 increased in the rest treatment groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the YHD group, there was no statistical difference in the occurrence rate of infiltration or the occurrence rate of precancerous lesion (P > 0.05). The positive rate of ki67 expression and mRNA expression of ki67 increased in the PT group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSYHD could partially inhibit and reverse canceration of breast cancer. It also could inhibit ki67 protein and mRNA expression. Its effect was similar to tamoxifen and superior to PT. So it was suitable for prevention and treatment of precancerous lesion of breast cancer.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Precancerous Conditions ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

This research aimed at studying the effects of irrigation and rhizome length on the survival of ratio, yield and quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in wild tending condition. Employed the split-block design to carry out the field experiment, sampled with the quadrat method to measured the relative growth indexes and to estimate the yield, used the HPLC (high performance liquid chromatog- raphy ) method to measure the glycyrrhizin in the rhizome and adventitious root of the G. uralensis in this study. The quantity of the adventitious roots and the survival ratio were increased significantly as the length of the rhizome increased (P < 0.01), but the length of the rhizome had no remarkable effect on the content of glycyrrhizin. The average content of the glycyrrhizin in the adventitious root and rhizome could reach 3.03% and 2.12% after 3-year wild tending, respectively, and this results indicated that the quality of the glycyrrhiza using this method was much better than that from cultured glycyrrhiza with the reproducing method of seeding. so using the rhizome as reproductive material to produce the glycyrrhiza under the wild tending condition could get the high quality glycyrrhiza quick- ly and steadily, this phenomenon could be explained by the Hypothesis of synthetic inertia of the medicinal components from the wild material of G. uralensis. But the maximum yield with this method was just more than 945 kg x hm(-2) in this study. So the further work of how to increase the yield in the practical application with the method found in this study need to be done in the next research.
Agricultural Irrigation ; Culture Techniques ; methods ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; metabolism ; Rhizome ; growth & development ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of Shenqi compound recipe (SQCR) anti-earlier diabetic artherosclerosis in GK rats.

METHODFour-month specefic pathogen free (SPF) GK rats were divided randomly according to blood glucose level into four groups: model group (5 mL x kg(-1) x d(-1) sterile water), ramipril group (positive control, 1 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), SQCR low dosage (0.72 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and SQCR high dosage group (2.88 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and Wistar rats as normal control group(5 mL x kg(-1) x d(-1) sterile water). GK rats took high-fat diet freely and meanwile were injected N-omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-N-AME) intra-peritoneally with the dose of 10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) in order to induce earlier diabetic artherosclerosis, while normal control group took regular diet and were injected normal saline intra-peritoneally. In the experiment periods, each group was administrated correspondent substance respectively for 32 d. At the end, sampling blood by abdominal aorta and picking aorta on ice. Determined monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) concentration by ELISA, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of MCP-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) in aorta by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR).

RESULTConcentrations of MCP-1 in serum in SQCR low and high dosage groups and the mRNA expression of MCP-1 in SQCR high dosage group were all decreased significantly compared with model group (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of PPARgamma in SQCR low and high dosage groups all increased compared with model group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONInhibiting the mRNA and protein expression of MCP-1 and upregulating the mRNA expression of PPARgamma in aorta might be contribute to SQCR anti-earlier diabetic artherosclerosis in GK rats partly.

Animals ; Aorta ; metabolism ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; metabolism ; Chemokine CCL2 ; biosynthesis ; blood ; genetics ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Male ; PPAR gamma ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

In order to understand the alcohol's toxicity to the quantitative alternations of synapses in mouse visual cortex, the expression of synaptophysin after prenatal alcohol exposure was investigated. In present study, the experimental mice at P0, P7, P14 and P30 were grouped, as control, 2 g x kg(-1) alcohol treatment and 4 g x kg(-1) alcohol treatment. The pre-synaptic elements which were used to represent synapses were marked with synaptophysin (a synaptic vesicle associated protein) by immunocytochemistry technique. The synaptophysin positive boutons in layer VI of visual cortex were imaged under laser confocal microscope. With stereological methods, the number cal density of synapse in visual cortex was calculated in different groups at various ages. Moreover, Western blotting was carried out to detect the expression of synaptophysin in visual cortex. The results showed that prenatal alcohol exposure could cause synaptic loss with long-term effect and in a dose dependent manner. For instance, there were significant difference among the different treatment groups of P0, P14 and P30 as well (P < 0.05). Western blotting supported the results of immunofluorescent labeling. In conclusion, prenatal alcohol exposure can induce the synaptic loss dose dependently and with long-term effect. Our findings implicate that the synaptic loss with long-term effect in CNS probably contributes to the lifelong mental retardation and memorial lowliness associated with childhood FAS.
Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Ethanol ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Synapses ; drug effects ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism ; Visual Cortex ; drug effects ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect and to explore the best opportunity of acupuncture on spontaneous facial paralysis in acute stage.

METHODSBy prospective cohort study, 80 patients were divided into an observation group (n = 59) and a control group (n = 21). The course of disease was less than 5 days in the observation group and more than 7 days in the control group and had not received acupuncture treatment. They were all treated with acupuncture at Sibai (ST 2), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6) and Cuanzhu (BL 2) etc. for 8 weeks. The facial nerve function grading (House-Brackmann, HB) and facial disable index (FDI) before treatment, 8 days after onset, 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks and 3 months after treatment were evaluated.

RESULTSBoth two groups could decrease HB grading and increase FDI score (all P < 0.05), and the observation group was superior to the control group in improvement degree (all P < 0.05). The cured rate of 86.4% (51/59) in the observation group was superior to that of 76.2% (16/21) in the control group, with significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the treatment time of cured patients in the observation group was shorter [(25.98 +/- 11.25) days vs (39.31 +/- 13.07) days, P < 0.01], and the incidence of sequelae of 5.1% (3/59) in the observation group was lower than that of 9.5% (2/21) in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture can improve the therapeutic effect, shorten the treatment course and reduce the sequelae incidence of spontaneous facial paralysis in acute stage.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Facial Paralysis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Animals ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Brucella Vaccine ; immunology ; Brucella abortus ; immunology ; Female ; Immunization ; Interferon-gamma ; biosynthesis ; Lymphocyte Activation ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Periplasmic Binding Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Ribosomal Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Vaccines, DNA ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of reducing THM precursors and controlling bromate taste and odor in drinking water taken from the Yellow River by an ozonation combined system.

METHODSThe appropriate ozone dosage was determined, and then the changes of TOC, UV254 and THM formation potential (THMFP) in the combined system were evaluated.

RESULTSOne mg/L ozone could effectively remove taste and odor and meet the maximum allowable bromate level in drinking water. The pre-ozonation increased THMFP, but the conventional treatment system could effectively reduce the odor. The bio-ceramic filter could partly reduce CHCl3FP, but sometimes might increase CHCl2BrFP and CHClBr2FP. The biological activated carbon (BAC) filter could effectively reduce CHCl3FP and CHCl2BrFP, but increase CHClBr2FP. Compared with other filters, the fresh activated carbon (FAC) filter performed better in reducing THMFP and even reduced CHClBr2FP.

CONCLUSIONThe combined system can effectively reduce taste, odor, CHCl3FP, and CHCl2BrFP and also bring bromate under control.

Bromates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; China ; Chlorine ; Humans ; Odorants ; analysis ; prevention & control ; Ozone ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Rivers ; chemistry ; Taste ; Trihalomethanes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Water Supply ; analysis ; standards

OBJECTIVETo investigate effect of interference therapy induced by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-antisense cDNA in signal transduction of Hep-2 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro.

METHODSAdEasy Vector System was used to construct the recombinant adenovirus vector sense/antisense-pAdEasy-EGFR. The recombinant adenovirus vector introduced EGFR-sense/antisense cDNA fragment into HEK293 cell. The purified recombinant adenovirus sense/antisense-pAdEasy-EGFR transfected Hep-2 cells in vitro. The inhibition of EGFR protein expression and proliferation of Hep-2 cells, the changes of cell cycle and DNA content in Hep-2 cells were examined by MTT, Western blot analysis, flow cytometry essay, and immunocytochemistry respectively.

RESULTSThe higher titre sense and antisense mRNA expression recombinant adenovirus containing 1,032 bp EGFR-cDNA was constructed and prepared successfully. When antisense-pAdEasy-EGFR was transferred into Hep-2 cells the inhibition of cell proliferation and EGFR protein expression in Hep-2 cells were investigated effectively.

CONCLUSIONThe antisense-pAdEasy-EGFR effectively interfere the Hep-2 signal transduction pathway and induce apoptosis which results in inhibiting proliferation of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Adenoviridae ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; DNA, Complementary ; Genetic Vectors ; HEK293 Cells ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection